Find Me--Chapter 8 ~Marcus~

All of the eighteen year-olds came pouring into the room we were in after the first explosion. Dillon, Chase, and Violet quickly found us and ran over. Seth, Rae and Isaac came over too.

“What’s going on?” Dillon shouts.

“Someone’s attacking the building,” an official answers, trying to stay calm. “We have to get out of here!” He instructs us to follow him up the stairs and out of the east exit. Everyone starts sprinting up the stairs, but Skye stays put.

“Skye?” I ask. She has a distant look in her eyes and a stricken look on her face. She doesn’t answer me, but snaps out of whatever trance she was in and follows everyone else up the stairs.

The official thrusts open the door only to find that nothing but flame lies behind it. He curses under his breath and tells us to follow him to a different exit. He instructs Dillon to shut the door and runs off to find another while everyone follows. Before Dillon closes the door, I see a sweep of auburn hair amongst the bright orange flame. It can’t be, I think to myself, but whether it really was Olivia or not, someone was out there, probably needing help.

I dash out the door and immediately feel like I’m being roasted alive.

“Marcus!” I hear Skye shriek behind me. I look back, and see her running toward me. The door seemed miles away. “What are you thinking?” she shouts at me. I don’t answer right away, I just keep running. As I come to her body, I figure out that it was in fact Olivia, and she didn’t look good. Her skin was badly burned, the ends of her hair were singed, and I she was in some unnatural position on the ground.

“I was thinking that Olivia needed my help,” I respond, not meaning to sound sarcastic. She doesn’t make a sound as I scoop her up, and I try to reassure myself that she was still alive. “Don’t worry Olivia, you’ll be fine,” I whisper to her.

“Do you need me to help?” Skye asks between the crackle of the fire. Beads of sweat were gliding down my face and I could feel my skin starting to burn.

“Just watch my back,” I say. We begin to race back to the door; Olivia limp in my arms, and Skye trailing behind. It can’t be more than five yards away, but the flame surrounding us makes it seem a lot farther.

Skye screams behind me, I look back and see her face down on the ground. A bullet had grazed her lower leg. They were close, we had to get back inside, but then find another way out. I see Dillon rush out the door and pick up Skye and follow me. There were more gunshots as we both run through the door and Chase slams it shut. I set Olivia gently on the floor.

“Olivia, Olivia!” I call, desperate to see her green eyes open, to know that she’s still alive. She stays still for the next few minutes, but just as I’ve lost nearly all hope, her eyes flutter open.

“Marcus?” she asks. Her voice was quiet and strained. “What happened?” I can’t help but give a weak smile. She looks around at everyone. “You’re all okay,” she says. “I was afraid that—”

“I’m sorry Olivia,” I say, picking her up again. “We’ll explain everything later, but we really have to get out of here.” As if on cue, another bomb goes off, exploding the wall to our left into a pile of rubble and shooting us with bits of debris.

The nine of us hurry up another flight of stairs, no one in particular in the lead.

“Out here!” Rae shouts, motioning toward the door that leads to the fields. She holds open the door for everyone. We’re all running for our lives, breathing heavy, trying to stay positive while hearing gunshots, explosions, and crackling flame in the distance.

Not a moment too soon we reach the forest and see a massive group of people including officials, nurses, cooks, and other residents, trying to stay hidden between the trees. We all sit on the grass and catch our breath. The officials were trying to see that everyone was accounted for, while the nurses were floating around tending to those who were hurt. I let Olivia rest her head on my lap.

“Are you okay Olivia?” I ask gently. “What happened?”

“My skin’s burned and I’m kinda dizzy and my head hurts, but I don’t think anything’s broken,” she answers weakly. “I was in the fields with Caleb and Lyra and we were walking back when the first bombs went off and a fire was burning at the east end of the building. I knew you, Skye, Dillon, and everyone else were working there so I just wanted to go in and make sure you were okay…”

“Oh Olivia,” I sigh. “I just want you to be safe. You’re my sister. I wish you wouldn’t put yourself in harm’s way just to try and save me. I can’t lose you.” She supports herself on her arm and moves into a sitting position to face me.

“But you’re my brother,” she counters. “I know you’d give your life up for me. Is it so wrong that I’d do the same?” It’s useless to tell her that to me, yes, it is wrong. She doesn’t know how horrible it’d be if I lost her.

She lies back down. “What happened after that?” she asks.

“A bomb blew up one of the rooms downstairs,” I begin. “An official led us upstairs to the east exit, but it was blocked because of the fire. He led everyone else to a different exit, but I thought I saw someone outside in the fire lying on the ground. I could’ve sworn it was you. So I ran outside to get you, and Skye followed. But they started shooting, and got her in the leg. But we all made it out alive.” She’s silent. Then, Dillon walks over with Skye limping at his side.

“Are you okay Olivia?” Skye asks her. She and Dillon both sit down next to us.

“I suppose…” she replies. “You?”

“I will be,” she answers, looking down at the cloth she pressed against the wound.

“We really have to get out of here,” Dillon says. “They aren’t just harming us. By being here, we put everyone else in danger.” We all nod in agreement.

Skye and Olivia finally get the attention of a nurse and one comes over and helps them the best she can with the limited space and supplies.

“When should we leave?” I ask Dillon. He glances over at Skye and Olivia; at their poor condition.

“As soon as possible.”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

HEY GUESS WHAT?!?!

IT'S SOMEBODY'S BIRTHDAY TODAY!!!

NO, NOT MINE.

I'M NOT THAT SELF-CENTERED.

IT'S ARABESQUE'S BIRTHDAY!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARABESQUE!!!




♥Skittlez

Some Updates

As you can see, after my long disappearance, I finally got around to writing chapter 7 (with some...lots of help and nagging from Arabesque). She is working on Chapter 8 (which is in Heruna's point of view) and that should be out within a week or two as she is less of a procrastinator than I am. I am writing chapter 8 of Find Me and that should be out within the end of the week.

Arabesque and I are also working on a Random Situations post on her blog, randomthoughts328.blogspot.com, where Cassia and Xander are reaped for The Hunger Games (I'm writing it in Cassia's point of view, and Arabesque is writing in Xander's), so look forward to that.

♥Skittlez

ANTIDYSTOPIA by Skittlez & Arabesque--Chapter Seven

Chapter 7

Ira

“Ira! Come down here!” Viann shouts. I sigh. I was reading a book about the history of knives. I mark the page and set it down. I walk down the stairs to see Viann at the door talking to some official-looking lady.
“Hello, you must be Ira,” the lady says. She extends her hand but I ignore it.
“Hi, what do you want?” I ask. Viann elbows me but says nothing. She’s been nagging me about my social skills. I’ve been telling her that I’m ten years rusty.
The lady looks me in the eye and says, “I am Eralia Rendri-Ottridge. I’m here on behalf of Queen Heruna, she has selected both of you to be heads of a project.”
Viann lights up and excitedly inquires on what the project is. Eralia is clearly happy to see that at least one of us is enthusiastic.
“Well, the project is building a memorial dedicated to loved ones lost in the ten years of violence Surubi just emerged from. It will be placed in the center of town. You have six months. The budget is $1 million. You have Surubi’s finest at your disposal. Any questions?”
“No! It sounds fun!” Viann exclaims.
“Very well then,” Eralia answers courteously, “Good luck to you both. Now may I ask you to look over there?”
Naively, Viann turns. I continue to watch her. Eralia winks at me and turns my head. I turn back, and she’s gone. Hmm… Eralia Rendri-Ottridge. Ottridge? Where have I heard that before? Oh my gosh, Eralia is Kolan’s wife. Which would mean that she’s an Elite as well… but why would she be helping Heruna then?

***

I’m mulling over why it is Eralia would be Kolan’s wife but play for the opposing side... unless there was no opposing side. I did suspect Kolan had ulterior motives, but I didn’t have an idea. I decide the next time I run into him I will question him.
Meanwhile, Viann starts hounding me with ideas for the memorial, which I couldn’t be more uninterested in.
“I was thinking that we could make a stone fountain and maybe somehow get all the names of the people who died to engrave on it,” Viann proposes to me. “I think Mom would’ve liked that.”
“Don’t mention her...or Dad,” I say stiffly, trying to prevent my voice from cracking.
“You act like they never existed!” Viann shouts at me. I could see it in her eyes that she was hurt. “You act like you want to forget them,” she said more calmly, but with a tear sliding down her cheek.
“Well you try to act like nothing’s changed!” I snap. She keeps her eyes set on me, but doesn’t say anything. “Everything’s changed, why can’t you see that?” I add before running out the door and slamming it behind me.
I get a glimpse of dark clouds looming above me, I even hear thunder in the distance, but I keep going until I reach the forest. It starts to rain then. I sit down on a fallen tree trunk and let the raindrops splash on my face and soak my clothes. What does it matter anyway?

Looking around, I realize how alone I am. Since I usually have to watch my back to make sure no one’s about to attack me, I’ve never had the time to have felt lonely. I know Viann and I shouldn’t be arguing; the only family we have left is each other. But we hardly ever see eye to eye. She thinks that acting like Mom and Dad never existed is so wrong. Though, now more than ever I wish they were here.

I’m not the crying type of person, let alone when there are people around, but right then, I start to sob.

***

It was at least an hour before I trudged back to the house sopping wet. I see Viann at her desk, scribbling furiously. I choose to avoid her for now and walk upstairs silently.I I drift to sleep after a while.

***

I’m running through a forest. A big, black mass is tailing me, and I run for my life. Eventually, I tire out and take cover in the carved out trunk of a big tree. Ira, Ira honey. I hear a soothing voice call. I look up to see my mother and father standing in front of me.They’re smiling like nothing’s wrong and it frustrates me.

“Hello Ira, dear. You’ve grown so much,” my mother says with a smile, as though she just went away for a while and came back now.

“Wha...What’s going on?” I ask, confused. “What are you doing here?”

“What do you mean Ira?” my dad asks me. “We’re your parents, where else would we be besides with you and your sister?”

“But...but...” I start, but I can’t find the right words to say or the right questions to ask.

“Shh... honey,” my mother says, “We need to talk to you.” I look around me and try to figure out what exactly is happening but I feel disoriented and my brain is muddled.

“You see Ira,” my dad starts to explain. “Your mother and I, we really aren’t dead.” My eyes widen and I stand there, frozen, gaping at him.

“What are you talking about?” I nearly shout at him.

“Just let your father finish,” my mother says calmly. I back off and continue to listen.

“Things were getting bad throughout the country, but it was by far the worst here. We were sent away with very short notice,” he continues.

“Where? Why? What about Viann and me?” I ask.

“A while ago, they were trying to move everyone to a place with a better government system, so we got sent to...” my mother starts, but stops short.

“Where, where?” I ask urgently. Instead of answering, my parents fade away right before my eyes.

“We love you,” my mother calls in a distant voice. Then, she nor my father are nowhere to be found.

***

My eyes pop open and I sit up on my bed. I was dearly hoping that that wasn’t just a dream; that there could be a chance that my parents really were still alive, and it was just a matter of miles before I could see them again. Though there was a part of me that couldn’t shake the possibility that it could be a hallucination.

I head downstairs to see Viann still sitting at her desk, but with her head in her hands.

“Hey,” I say, coming up behind her.

“Oh hi,” she responds, sitting up and rubbing her red eyes.

“I had a dream,” I begin. “And our parents...they weren’t dead. They were just--”

“Ira,” Viann cuts me off. “You have to move on. You refuse to talk about them and hate it when I even mention either of them, and now you think that they could still be alive based on a dream you had. They wouldn’t want us to keep grieving about them. You have to let go, Ira.” I hate it when she’s right. There wasn’t much else for me to say, so I just trudged back up to my room.

I knew it was a long shot, but I refused to give up on the chance that my parents really were still alive. That they were just out there somewhere waiting for us to find them. But then that would mean that for all this time, our parents left us alone to defend ourselves purely for their own safety.

The thought that they could still be alive is quickly numbed by my anger toward them.